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Hardscaping

What is "hardscaping?"

Hardscaping is a term used to define outdoor living spaces that are constructed out of concrete materials such as pavers, retaining wall block, veneer stone, and similar products. We like to say it’s called “hardscaping,” because it’s “hard” work! Utilizing the latest tools and techniques, we actually make laying pavers look fun and easy.

In-Home Design Consultation

After establishing a budget for your project based on the FREE online estimate, we would be happy to move forward with an in-home design consultation. The cost for this service is $125 within a 20 mile driving distance from our location and must be prepaid by check or credit card before the appointment. An additional fee of $50 is added for every 10 miles beyond the initial 20 miles (for example, 21-30 miles would cost $175; 31-40 miles $225; 41-50 miles $275). This fee is refunded to you if you hire Kingdom Landscaping as your contractor, and it will be reflected as a credit on your final invoice.

Most of the time, both Tom and Jodi Tyler will attend the initial in-home design consultation. Jodi is there as the design expert and Tom is there as the construction expert, so you get both minds working together, and this helps to alleviate any construction concerns during the designing process. As part of this meeting, they listen to your ideas, take measurements of the area, and if possible, lay out a basic concept on the ground with spray paint. They will also provide you with a product catalog, answer your questions, and go over the construction process.

After the meeting, Jodi will begin working on a formal proposal. Most job proposals (depending on the project) contain a written contract detailing the work, an itemized estimate (detailing materials and labor), a simple computer drawing and/or marked up photo tear sheet showing the work to be completed. Depending upon her workload, you should have this information made available to you within a two-week time frame.

Proposal Presentation

The next step is to meet at a hardscape distributor’s paver display to pick out the pavers, wall block, and other materials for your project. For EP Henry products, our distributor is Sunny Meadows Garden Center (Boonsboro, Maryland). For Nicolock Products, our distributor is J&R Mulch (Waynesboro, Pennsylvania). For Techo-Bloc pavers, our distributor is LT Rush (Waynesboro, Pennsylvania). We also deal with Frederick Brick Works in Frederick, Maryland, who also has an outdoor product display featuring the above-listed products. Samples will be made available to you to take home so you can make a final decision on color and product.

During this meeting, Jodi will present the proposal to you face-to-face. We prefer not to mail or email job proposals because it is important to understand the design concept and to discuss the options and/or changes to the design in person. If you are ready to proceed, the contract documents can be signed and a 1/3 deposit can be collected, which will place you on our schedule.

We have experience!

Kingdom Landscaping started hardscaping in 1998 – that’s 18 years of installing high quality hardscapes! Experience is the best teacher. Three years prior to that, the business focused on lawn care, landscaping, and grounds maintenance.

Because we are a local family-owned and operated business, not a franchise, you can expect the owners to be personally involved in every project. If you have any changes or questions during the construction process, we are able to take care of them immediately.

Don’t let the size of this company fool you. We have installed more than 100,000 square feet of pavers, including commercial projects like Freedom Park in Leesburg, Virginia (8,000 sf); several patios and a drive-thru entrance at a Hilton Garden Inn in Allentown, Pennsylvania (2,500 sf); and Gateway Ministries in Williamsport, Maryland (6,000 sf).

Check out EP Henry's video below to see the benefits of choosing pavers for your project:

We have training!

As an ICPI (Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute) certified installer, you can rely on Kingdom Landscaping to do an excellent and accurate installation. ICPI is not just another seminar certificate, it is an intense two-day training focused on soil conditions, excavation techniques, stone base compaction, sand setting bed, paver installation and cutting, edge restraints, and more. Each attendee must pass a final test in order to be certified. After certification, CEU credits must be earned on a continual basis to renew the bi-annual certification. Tom Tyler has carried the ICPI certification since 2000.

In addition to ICPI, our employees attend annual educational and training seminars sponsored by EP Henry, Techo-Bloc, Nicolock, Eagle Bay, and Cambridge. We believe that regular continuing education in this industry keeps us abreast of the latest materials, designs, and installation procedures. Because of our growing knowledge and training, we can offer our customers the best design for their backyard paradise. We are easily able to incorporate landscaping and water features into any hardscape project.

Check out EP Henry's video below to see the importance of choosing the right contractor for your hardscape job:

The Kingdom Warranty

We offer a three-year installation warranty covering our workmanship, which begins on the date the project is completed. As with all product warranties, there are limitations as to what we will cover. If within a three-year period you have issues with significant settling of the patio or wall system, please contact us as soon as possible for a site inspection. We do not cover issues arising from abuse, vandalism, forces of nature (flooding, storm damage, etc.), erosion due to pre-existing conditions, underground springs, staining, or efflourescence (natural concrete-curing process that causes a temporary white hazing). We also do not cover issues directly relating to the joint sand (polymeric or masonry sand) in regards to ants, weeds, or erosion (washing out). The occasional replacement of joint sand falls under normal maintenance as well as weed control, cleaning the paver surface, etc.

Please note that interlocking concrete pavers as well as segmental retaining wall systems are flexible systems. They are designed with the "cracks" built in so that they can move during freeze and thaw cycles and well as other earth movement. It is normal for some shifting to occur and this does not affect the integrity of the system. (If these were concrete and mortar systems, they would crack and break and the integrity of the system would be compromised.)

Manufacturers carry their own product warranties. Read their warranty information carefully. Some warranties are voided if the pavers are not installed properly according to ICPI specifications.For example, pavers should never be installed on stone dust! Whether you choose to work with Kingdom or another hardscape company, always be sure to hire an ICPI certified installer.

Financing

Kingdom Landscaping is pleased to accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express in addition to cash and personal checks. We conveniently carry a "SQUARE" Reader with us so we can process your payments on site and email a receipt to you immediately. However, when choosing to pay by credit card, we do not allow any other discounts or coupons to be applied to the project.

Kingdom Landscaping wants to help you achieve your ideal backyard lifestyle and paradise! We now offer promotional financing to homeowers, so that you can make your paradise a reality. A Kingdom Landscaping credit card issued by Synchrony Bank could give you the purchasing power you need to bring your Outdoor Living dreams into reality! Our current Synchrony Bank promotion is 0% Interest for 18 Months!

Kingdom Landscaping Blog

Client Testimonials

You are once again adding a wonderful addition to our family home and we wanted you to know how much it means to us. The waterfall feature, retaining wall, patio and adjoining walkway that you created for us late last year brought us a lot of joy over the winter months and with the spring, even more beauty. Now you are adding a patio and walkway to the other side of our deck which will complete our landscaping around our pool and add more serenity to our backyard oasis you are helping us create. The work ethic, professionalism, workmanship and courtesy of everyone who has come to our house has been outstanding and made our experience with you a joyful one. We can’t wait for this latest project to be finished but we are sure we will be calling on you again to help us continue our journey in making this a home that we enjoy and wish to share with family and friends. We are VERY grateful to our brother for introducing you to us. Thank You!